President
Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles
Santa Monica, CA, US
Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, FAANS, FACS specializes in the treatment of degenerative and traumatic diseases of the spine through minimally invasive techniques, spinal cord and brain injury. He also treats many patients for concussion and its after-effects and educates on its prevention. Dr. Gantwerker is committed to providing personalized care for each pateint and involves them in every step of the care path. He is proficient in both minimally-invasive and complex spinal surgeries. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
Dr. Gantwerker is a Chicago native who attended the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign where he earned his pre-medical education and graduated magna cum laude with honors, majoring in psychology, Phi Beta Kappa and The Golden Key Honor Society. He received his medical degree at Rush Medical College in Chicago where he focused on peripheral nerve regeneration research. He completed his neurosurgical residency under Dr. Warren Selman at Case Western/University Hospitals of Cleveland and studied spinal cord regeneration with stem cells at Case Western School of Medicine. Dr. Gantwerker completed his complex spine fellowship at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona in 2009 under Dr. Volker Sonntag.
Dr. Gantwerker has authored several book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles, appeared on television and radio interviews, and has instructed undergraduate, medical students, and residents in various neurosurgical topics and neuroanatomy. Dr. Gantwerker is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Golden Key honor societies, and a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Society (SMISS), the National Association of Spine Specialists (NASS) where he is active in the legislative committee, and California Association of Neurological Surgeons (CANS), where is serving as Secretary and a representative to the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies (CSNS) and is chairman of the Medicolegal Committee.
He is also the specialty delegate the California Medical Association.
He volunteers his time as a member of doctor advocacy groups and is a member-at-large of the Neurosurgery PAC. He is currently working with a select group of neurosurgeons on a Community-Based Neurosurgery initiative with the CNS.
Dr. Gantwerker is a frequent featured speaker and interviewee for Becker’s Spine Review and ASC publications, he has been featured over 200 times.
He is a tireless patient advocate both in and out of the clinic. He is a proud husband, father, brother, and son. He is a diehard Cubs, Bears, and Blackhawks fan. He also loves hikingbin the California foothills, bicycling outdoors, growing vegetables in his greenhouse, and loves nearly every genre of music and curates a carefully crafted OR playlist.
Disclosure(s): Brainlab: Advisor (Ongoing)
Panel Discussion: Raising Revenue and Cutting Costs
Saturday, May 4, 2024
2:31 PM – 3:00 PM CT